Kiss the Cynic "s/t" CD
[self-released]
This band was formed by ex-members of Luddite Clone and As Darkness Falls, and I must say that I like this better. The writing is more cohesive and powerful, still maintaining a bit of a dissonant chaotic edge but focusing more on semi complex metal riffs, tasteful melody, etc. The vocals are unrelenting midrange screams with some higher/lower work on rare occasion. The performance is definitely tight though, and that really helps in this case. The choppy guitar tone can get in the way every now and then, but the rhythm section is fucking insane (the bassist rules) and the band is definitely a tight unit. I also like the subtle diversity. They can somehow manage to swing from full-blown death metal riffs to abstract post-hardcore textures and chord progressions without things sounding the least bit disjointed. Plus even their most abrasive moments remain controlled, it's not a bunch of chaotic nonsense, you can follow what's going on. At the end of the disc after a few minutes of silence there's an absolutely hilarious prank call where someone from the band calls a phone sex line and talks to the girl on the other end about getting a "Chicago hotplate", in addition to getting her to moan and say "kiss the cynic" every time he tells her to "pucker up quick" (both of which are references to lyrics included on this very EP). Fucking classic. Totally deadpan, too. The production isn't bad, but it could use some work. I love the drum tones, which actually highlight an excellent performance, but I think the mix needs tweaking. The vocals feel too loud to me, barely, and something about the balance of guitars and bass feels a little bit hollow. I can hear a lot of bass, which is great, but something in the middle there lacks power. I think the distortion on the guitars might be a little bit too dirty, rather than being a bit thicker and smoother around the edges. The final product just needs to be brighter and clearer, basically. I love the artwork and the layout. All of the imagery is crisp and high contrast with a strict color palette. There are a few bull's-eyes and an illustration of a man with devil horns in a suit, the text is bold and there are some nice textures going on... it really just looks quite nice. Very professional. The lyrics are quick passages that are fairly cryptic at times, with other areas perhaps revealing a sense of bitter sarcasm: "Sold your beauty plain Jane naked bend for your green more serve it up straight Chicago hotplate serve it up straight on a Chicago hotplate tell the kids feel the shame scum soaked wage dress the doll with god's paper serve it up straight Chicago hotplate serve it up straight Chicago hotplate I spit your filth when I felt shame sold your dreams to fill your voids." This is a great debut EP. I'd like to hear them with a more beneficial recording, but I'm definitely into the songwriting and the way that they arrange everything, so I'll be keeping an eye on this band for sure... (7/10)
Running time - 15:00 (approximately), Tracks: 5
[Notable tracks: Supercrusher, Chicago Hotplate]
Kiss the Cynic - http://www.kissthecynic.com

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